Max Verstappen will snub Aston Martin as Red Bull driver has one ‘big question’ about Adrian Newey

Max Verstappen has a contract with Red Bull through the 2028 Formula 1 season, yet questions have regularly appeared about his future amid interest from Aston Martin.

The 27-year-old tied himself down in Milton Keynes in March 2022 after he agreed to one of F1’s longest contracts to date. Red Bull moved sharply to reward Verstappen with a lucrative deal amid his desire to recommit after the Dutchman won his first F1 drivers’ championship.

Clauses in his contract have also increased the four-time champion’s wage since putting pen to paper, so Red Bull paid Verstappen a base £47m in 2024 with bonuses taking his salary to £59m. Verstappen has also now taken 65 Grand Prix wins, 43 poles and 116 podiums so far.

Yet speculation has been rife for years that Verstappen could look to leave Red Bull, with the Hasselt, Belgium-born star able to break free from his contract early. But while Aston Martin are interested in Verstappen, he is now set to stay with Red Bull for the 2026 F1 regulations.

Max Verstappen will stay at Red Bull as he doubts Adrian Newey’s impact on Aston Martin’s 2026 car

According to GPblog, Verstappen now plans to reject Aston Martin and stay at Red Bull next year even if he can activate the exit clause in the Dutchman’s contract. He would be clear to move for the 2026 F1 season if he is not in the top three of the 2025 standings this summer.

READ MORE: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

Doubts persist about the strength of Red Bull’s power unit for next term, with the team from Milton Keynes now designing their own engine with support from Ford for the first time. But the gains Aston Martin will unlock under the new regulations is a ‘significant doubt’ for him.

Even after Adrian Newey joined Aston Martin as their new managing technical partner after leaving Red Bull, Verstappen and his camp view the 66-year-old’s impact on the Silverstone squad’s 2026 car as a ‘big question’. So, he is ready to reject a potential move for next term.

Max Verstappen’s stance removes Aston Martin’s headache about dropping Fernando Alonso or Lance Stroll

Aston Martin made Newey a 5% shareholder last September to secure his arrival this March. The Briton has since been focused only on leading the development of their 2026 F1 car. Yet Verstappen doubts even the 14-time drivers’ and 12-time constructors’ title-winner’s effect.

So, while Aston Martin have a five-year, £1bn contract offer for Verstappen ready in case the four-time champion looks to leave Red Bull, their Canadian billionaire owner Lawrence Stroll now faces having to wait for the 2027 term to tempt the Dutchman to switch to Silverstone.

READ MORE: All to know about Aston Martin managing technical partner Adrian Newey

But Verstappen’s decision to stay at Red Bull next season also removes a potential headache for owner Stroll and team principal Andy Cowell. Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll are both under contract to Aston Martin for 2026, so one would need to be axed to sign Verstappen.